Silver Lining
by LiaLox
Summary: Spoilers ahead! Zegnautus Keep. Prince Noctis had disappeared into the crystal, and the Regalia was beyond repair. With nothing but daemons and hostile MT's waiting for them, the party receives the most unexpected help in escaping the keep—from Prompto's adoptive parents, the Argentums.
1. Chapter 1

Zegnautus Keep. The Prince had disappeared into the crystal, and the Regalia was beyond repair. To top it off, Ignis was still blind, Prompto hadn't had proper food or rest for the past week, and Gladio was already at his limit just keeping the group alive. With nothing but daemons and hostile MT's waiting for them, the party receives the most unexpected help in escaping the keep—from Prompto's adoptive parents, the Argentums.

Rated M for violence and coarse language.

* * *

/ **Chapter 1:** **Goodnight, Sweet Prince** /

* * *

If you came here expecting a touching reunion between a family, then you had best take your leave. Surely you, from the haven of whatever dimension you peer into ours from, have an inkling of how complicated this dear boy's situation must be. Does it bring you joy to see their friendships torn, and joined once more? I for one, certainly enjoy such tragic tales.

There will be a happy ending to this, of course.

After all, how could I possibly wish harm upon these fine young men? But I know you. You thirst for the moment someone is brought out of despair, just as I do. Such a shining moment is part of any wonderful tale, wouldn't you agree? Needless to say, a wretched misery is required for the tale to satisfy such a palate. Perhaps only you would understand my delight in setting the darkness for the dawn to break.

Well... if that is the entertainment of your preference…

Then, my dearest audience:

I would be more than happy to oblige.

* * *

Magitek Research Facility Report

Following their outbreak in the north and west, daemons have swept through the MRF, causing extensive damage to equipment. Control was subsequently lost over unprogrammed MTs, and strategies are being deliberated on the collection of rogue units. Meanwhile, 125 infected patients undergoing testing at the facility have vanished in a manner reminiscent of the first disappearances.

* * *

Hurt and heal, night and day. Yes, this world revolved with opposites like Light and Chaos, and you always needed one to truly appreciate the other. The bitter doom the Prince's companions must've surely felt as they were left to fend off hordes of daemons must be offset by a sweet rescue.

Sure enough, that sugar-coated moment had come for the three Crownsguards as panicked footsteps could be heard fast approaching. They couldn't have gotten through that hangar door, nor the endless spawn of daemons by themselves. Especially in such short notice. Perhaps they'd even thank him once they've figured out he was the one responsible for pointing a helping hand their way.

"Gentlemen!" Ardyn turned away from the crystal to address the three who had rushed to the chamber. He had immersed himself in his thoughts for a tad too long. Is it because the fated hour is finally drawing near?

He motioned to the crystal as if he were doing introductions. "Your Prince."

This seemed to set off a fuse in Gladio, as he swung his greatsword right at the Accursed's neck. Any normal human would have had their head rolling. However, Ardyn didn't care much for the attack. As though a gust of wind had dared to blow against him, he simply concerned himself with keeping the hat on his head.

Prompto followed with a shot directly to the chancellor's heart with no hesitation. The man collapsed to the floor, but instead of blood oozing, a foul cloud drifted from where a wound should've been. Even this man's blood could only be described as a miasma.

Silence.

There was tension in the air, and no one would dare to utter the words they were all thinking: _Is he dead?_

That was all wishful thinking when the man rose again, hat in hand. Ignis couldn't see, but he could feel it. The man—no, the daemon in front of him had a presence that was thick with evil. Just being under that accursed gaze was enough to make his heightened senses scream at him.

Slow and fluid, the words dripped out of his mouth like poison:

" **Until next time.** "

And with that, walked off only to become one with the shadows of the keep.

"...What the fuck?" Gladio finally growled, tossing his weapon to the ground in frustration. The two jumped back, startled. The noise of metal upon metal echoed through the chamber. "Just… gah! Dammit."

"There's not much we could do with an immortal enemy." Ignis tried to console him. The tossed great sword had already vanished into light. "And what of Noctis?"

"He's... gone." Prompto answered. "There's no sign of him anywhere."

"But his magic still flows within us." As if to make a point, Gladio summoned the weapon he carelessly threw once more to his hands.

"So it stands to reason the Prince is unharmed."

"T-then what should we do?"

"Our options are limited." Ignis continued. "Especially considering our firepower. We are in no condition to fight. Our best course of action would be to ask the people who aided us with the daemons just now. They seemed to know you, Prompto."

"That's because-"

The familiar click-click of a gun poised with the intent to kill halted the conversation. The three slowly turned around to meet with a woman, possibly in her late 30's. She wore a hunter's garb, but with a red cloak that amply hid the majority of her features. Under the dimly lit hall, her hair appeared to be light brown tucked into a sideswept ponytail. She had the sort of face where, if it wasn't for the fact that she was holding them all at gunpoint, she would be the sort of lady you'd expect to bake cookies every Sunday.

"M-mom?" Prompto stuttered, hands raised in surrender. "Wasn't that Dad back there at the hangar doors? What are you guys doing here? What's going on?"

Gladio and Ignis shot puzzled glances at each other somehow at the mention of "mom and dad" from the blonde. After the whole revelation about his origins the rest of the party had already made peace with the fact that his parents might not even exist. 5 years of driving Noctis to and from Prompto's house, and there was hardly the presence of anyone else living there. Ignis always thought it was strange, but Noctis pointed out his own father was the same way; so he never brought it up again. And yet here she was, the fictitious Mrs. Argentum.

"I could say the same for you, young man!" The woman approached him angrily and dropped the gun, heels clicking with fury against the steel platform. Ignis dodged the charging woman without thinking, allowing her to be face to face with her son.

Prompto reeled back like a kid that was expecting the grounding of his life, eyes shut and expecting to be hit, but opened in shock when the woman wrapped him into a hug.

"Thank goodness you're alright." She sobbed, face nestled into the crevice of his neck. "I never wanted you to have to come back here again."

"…I know." Prompto whispered. He didn't want to come here either.

"Are you hurt?" The woman looked up to tearful eyes when she realized he began trembling in her arms.

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine…" Prompto repeated, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. By emotions, by fatigue, by… well, everything. "I'm just so happy to see you… But Noct, he's… The Crystal just… I… I-I'm…"

"Prompto!" Gladio shouted.

The blonde seemed to wilt on the spot, and everyone jerked in reaction but the woman was the one who caught him. The mother and son slumped to the ground, and after a moment of silence, she looked up and spoke.

"You must be Ignis and Gladio. Prom has said many good things about you." She lowered her head in a half-bow, while clutching her son in her arms. "You have my gratitude as well as my apologies, Sir Ignis. Lord Amicita. Thank you for taking care of my son and I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness."

Gladio was taken aback for a moment. This was the last place he expected a formal address.

"Don't sweat it." Gladio replied. "I'm just glad to see someone other than those creepy MT's all over the place."

The woman twitched at the statement, but held a thankful smile regardless. Realizing what he had just said, Gladio opened his mouth in apology but was cut short by his comrade.

"Miss Argentum," Ignis started. "Would it be improper of me to ask for your name?"

"Not at all." She gratefully allowed Gladio to take carry Prompto. "My name is Somalia Argentum, but please call me Soma. I'm sure you have many questions, but I would like to take care of my son first."

"Of course." Ignis said. "We share the same sentiment."

"But the Crystal…" _And Noctis_. Gladio wanted to add, but stopped himself.

"The crystal will not go anywhere." Somalia dusted herself off and motioned the two to follow. "I'll have this place secured, please get some rest as well. Let's talk over a meal. I'm sure you could all use one."

She trotted ahead, picking up her gun along the way and speaking to fully robed soldiers whose only reply was a nod. They stood at each end of the entrance, and Soma glanced back at the Crownsguard with anticipation.

"An elegant woman." Ignis remarked, following the sound of her heels.

"Yeah, not what I was expecting from the big mama bird of our chocobo over here." Gladio grunted, shifting Prompto over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and followed along.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived at a refugee camp of sorts nestled within the few intact buildings. There were boxes stacked everywhere—most of them empty or holding personal belongings of the refugees scattered about. The way here was surprisingly simple; considering that this building connected to the keep. That, and Soma appeared to navigate through the place with exercised familiarity and a keycard clearance of the highest level.

"This camp is just the three floors of a building, connected to a blockaded portion of the subway." Soma introduced, guiding them through the camp. "The first, as you can see, is a mess. There are 20 rooms on the first floor, with 5 beds each. ...It's not enough, but we make do. This used to be disguised as a hospital for treating patients infected with the scourge. We try to keep the second floor more tidy, mainly for the injured. The third is for storage, but there are a few rooms there you can use. The subways are a bit of a free for all, with hunters using that section as the base."

"Are you a hunter?" Gladio asked, eyeing her attire.

"I suppose?" Soma replied. "I do fight daemons, but it's more like I manage this facility. I keep track of supplies and tend to the wounded. My experience as a nurse in Lucis certainly came in handy for all this."

She giggled in an attempt to make light of the situation. A habit a certain someone else had. "Before I knew it, people began to rely on me."

There was lots of shuffling and hushed voices. One building definitely wasn't enough to shelter what was left of a metropolitan city. Some men and woman sat with defeated eyes, and everyone seemed to understand too well that these people needed their time alone to process whatever horrors they've seen. Some children in tattered clothes ran about, unaware of the crisis they were in, while others cried endlessly for their families. The only sign of joy radiated from the subway, no doubt from drunk hunters.

"A nurse from Lucis…" Ignis mused. His walking stick wasn't very useful in the mess of people, and Gladio often had to pull him to the right direction with his free hand. "I'd assume you mean one from the crown city, correct? How does a Insomnian nurse end up fighting daemons in Niflheim?"

"That's… a long story." She replied carefully. "It's something I would have to explain to my son as well."

They climbed up a broken escalator, careful not to knock down the clothes that were hung on the rails to dry. Gladio could feel Prompto shift on his shoulder, but still showed no signs of waking.

"Y'know, I was starting to believe you and your husband didn't exist at all." Gladio said.

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it. Prompto always seemed like the type of boy that's bad at lying." Soma smiled. A normal mother wouldn't say such things. "But it would be a little silly to expect a child to take care of the mortgage, electricity bills and taxes. Especially a foreign one. The currency in Insomnia is different from the rest of the world, and the dollar to gil conversion isn't exactly the easiest to sort out."

"Heh. No arguments there." Gladio replied, thinking back to the money issue they had when they first set out on the journey. Noct's credit card didn't work (there goes the royal treasury) and Prompto had even asked ' _what's a gil?_ ' when they first arrived at Hammerhead.

"Speaking of which, may I ask where your husband might be?" Ignis asked. "I believe he was spotted by the hangar."

"To answer that, I would need to answer your first question." Soma replied evasively.

"That's not sketchy at all." Gladio mumbled to himself. He hesitantly put down Prompto onto a stretcher when he was asked to, and watched him get wheeled away into a different room. They already lost one member of their party. Losing track of another set Gladio on edge.

This whole second floor smelled of antiseptic. All except the room where they stepped into where the overpowering scent of tomato soup filled the area. There wasn't much on the table. A pot full of soup, a loaf of bread for appetizer, a small chicken drumstick and a portion of what were undeniably canned peaches for dessert waited for them.

"I didn't mean for it to be that way," The woman apologized. "Just that my… husband… or well, let's just call him Cadaley."

She cleared her throat and helped Ignis to a seat before taking her own.

"Cadaley and I aren't on the best of terms." Soma finally ended. "But we're not here to discuss my private life, are we?"

She said so with a smile, but the two felt as though they were back in the briefing rooms of the Citadel. A serious discussion served with a casual meal. Chewing often served as a good excuse for stalling for a few more seconds to think, and the mood seemed to hint that this was going to be a _that_ kind of discussion. Which would mean that she wanted something from the Crownsguard. Considering that they needed Soma's help more desperately than she needed theirs, and that she had one of their members in her hands, she was certainly in the position to make demands. As expected of the woman who managed to take control of what was left of the empire's capital; a friendly face isn't all what it seems.

"No, we're not." Gladio chose the chicken to start off with and bit into the drumstick as though he were in a common pub at wing night.

"I'll be frank," Ignis was more reserved and reached for the cutlery. "We would like your help in escaping Niflheim and returning to Lucis with the Crystal."

"You have an idea of where to store something so important?" Soma asked. The only thing you could see in her eyes was pure curiosity. Now that Gladio thought about it, she did resemble Prompto a little. Her hair was closer to a dark blonde in better light. There was nothing he could describe as a calculating gaze from her, and he'd be crazy to imagine something like that from Prompto.

"Anything would be better than the enemy stronghold." Ignis simply replied.

"Hm, I think so too. In that case, I would be more than happy to help." Somalia replied, brushing a strand of her out of the way to sip at her soup. "But I must ask a favor…"

 _Here it is._ Ignis thought. _The relationship between her and Prompto is still mostly unknown, but I can assume they aren't close on the account that both she and this Cadaley have been missing for at least five years. Would she use her son as a bargaining chip?_

"Please help us stop the MT production of Zegnautus Keep." _Is that it?_

"Pardon my saying so, but wouldn't that be treasonous for the people under your care?" Ignis remarked. "MTs are the primary source of military power of this nation."

"I'm well aware that they protect this nation." Soma stated. "But I'm afraid that their research has done much more harm than good. The people here are all victims. Surely you've read in Zegnautus' records that the keep was responsible for the outbreak of the Scourge that destroyed this city? This request is also to your advantage."

Indeed, they had no reason to say no. Especially not with a safe escape route as a reward.

"Very well." Ignis said. "If that is your request, we shall provide as much assistance as we can."

"Thank you."

"One more thing. Why point a gun at us at our first meeting, knowing that your own son was in your line of fire? It's suspicious enough that you arrived exactly when we needed you."

"Because of this." She got up from her seat and fiddled around with a computer in the corner of the room. With the whirr of old engines the screen slowly descended to a halt. This room was likely meant to be a presentation room back when the hospital was still functioning, but with the computer set up as it is, Ignis could imagine that the room was now used for strategic meetings.

"She's about to show us a video." Ignis concluded. "What is it about?"

"It's… Prompto." Gladio explained. "Before we rescued him. Tied up the exact same way."

Ignis had the feeling that wasn't the only thing on the screen.

"He's with Ardyn."


	3. Chapter 3

It was no wonder Somalia had to leave the room for this clip.

The screen, featuring Prompto crucified in the metallic contraption burst to life when Gladio hit "Play". By "burst" it was more like the video erupted into the deafening cries of the man trapped within metal binds. The body pounded through its confines in a desperate attempt to escape the surge of electricity that no doubt coursed through his flesh until it was ragged.

Gladio had to pause the video within the first two seconds. Not just for Ignis, but for himself. If he had to watch another second of this, he might just end up smashing every damn thing in this room. He suspected something like this could've happened, but to throw it at his face like this? If Noct saw this video, he would definitely charge straight for Ardyn. And Gladio would have been more than happy to follow.

"…We can't change what's been done," Ignis offered after a moment of silence. "But we can find answers. I feel the same way, but the chancellor is cryptic. His appearances always have something to do with the crystal… especially when his appearances concern us."

Gladio didn't respond.

"I would mute and fast forward to the instances where Ardyn speaks," Ignis continued. "You're the only one who can do this. …I'm sorry."

"Don't be." With a grunt, Gladio hesitatingly did as he was asked.

Whenever the chancellor spoke, he always rambled on about illusion and reality. In his coddling voice, he would jab at Prompto's every insecurity, but a recurring theme was how Prompto's life was a lie. They always seemed to leave him more convinced and conflicted all at once.

At every word of protest, he'd be subject to another blast of Thunder. Every time his body was pushed to the limit, it would be Cure.

They didn't understand until Ardyn explained the science behind controlling MTs.

"MTs always act so robotic, even though they're living beings. Sure, the artificial magic of magitek can sustain their life, but they need rest just like you and me. I'm sure you've given it some thought. Despite being daemons in suits of armor, they're rather obedient. Doing exactly what they're told. That's because MTs have a machine in them riiiiiiiight here—"

Ardyn tapped at the back of Prompto's head, which hung lifelessly.

"—that programs their every action. Just like the video games, am I right? Well, Prompto. Do you think you'd be able to tell if you were programmed or not? If your thoughts were truly yours, I mean. …Want to put it to the test?"

Prompto finally reacted, his head just slightly lifting to meet Ardyn's, eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, I'm simply teasing. You don't have to act so _shocked,_ " Ardyn smiled a little at his own joke. "Well, I suppose all this electricity is unhealthy. I mean, you always do see some sparks go before MTs explode, don't you? Do try not blow up on me."

Ardyn pinched his cheeks endearingly.

End of clip.

The silence that followed lasted for an eternity. They sat, not even wanting to think of the possibility, but not quite sure of what to do with this information either. If this was the reason why Soma had been so guarded when they first met, then..?

"What do you think of her?" Ignis finally asked. He was certain that Gladiolus had the same questions he was thinking of.

"…Somalia Argentum?" Gladio grunted. "I'm not going to easily accept help that's a little too convenient at enemy headquarters. It's not like we have a choice though, but Ardyn's involved. That's what bothers me."

"Agreed," Ignis replied. "Judging by the timing that this video was sent, meeting her was set up by the chancellor himself. It would be safe to assume Mr. Argentum's assistance was set up by him as well."

"We don't really know these people," Gladio muttered. "Guess we'll have to wait for Prompto to wake up."

"That's assuming he knows his missing-in-action parents any better than we do."

* * *

The two found Soma in one of the rooms on the third floor, sitting next to the bedside of her son. There were other beds in the room, with a bottle of water and a potion on each. It was probably one of Soma's thoughtful considerations.

"We couldn't go through it all," Gladio said, as they entered the room.

"…I couldn't even start the video." Soma said. "I had one of the others watch instead. They summarized the clip."

"By showing us that clip, do you mean to imply that Prompto has been…?" Ignis trailed off.

"The possibility exists." Soma replied with the slightest nod. "There was no mistake that it was Prompto in the video; Chancellor Izunia used his phone to send the video directly. I guess Cadaley got it as well. I rushed to the scene as fast as I could, but I wasn't sure if…"

Damn. So that really was the case. Gladio tightened his fist. He did think that there were too many wires attached to a simple mechanism meant to tie someone up. But he didn't even want consider the possibility that Prompto could even be turned into one of those... those _things._

"So what you're saying is, he's a time bomb, and Ardyn might have just set him up to explode." Glad said wryly.

"Yes." Soma looked away. "If he had already lost himself, the only thing I could've done was put him out of his misery."

"But he's normal, right? I haven't noticed anything different about him this whole time." Gladio stated. "Well… other than the fact that he's been upset, but that's understandable considering everything that's happened."

Soma simply smiled at that. Not a knowing smile, but the kind of smile that meant to say _thank you for your concern_. It disappeared as quickly as it had donned her lips.

"…What do you think of your son's associations with the Prince?" Ignis asked, feeling the need to draw the topic elsewhere when the silence lingered for too long.

"Oh, yes. I must confess, out of all the people in Insomnia, Prince Noctis was the last person I wanted my son to associate himself with. It would only bring trouble, I thought." She cast her gaze downwards as if in shame, but lifted them after a moment. A soft smile seemed to play upon her lips, which she vainly tried to hide with a curled finger. "But it seems that he made some very good friends as a result. I'm glad. He was always a little scared of people as a child."

Soma brushed a hair out of his face lovingly. "Maybe fear can be passed down to children."

"Miss Soma…"

"But to think my only son would be taken away from me one day by a magical prince charming~" She grinned in a flushed sort of excitement, having an obvious fangirl moment. "My, my, I've only seen the Prince in pictures, but I never would've imagined Prom to make such attractive friends! I can't wait to see all the photos he's taken!"

"I take back what I said earlier, this is exactly what I expected from Prompto's mother."

"…Indeed."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I meant to submit this sooner, but I had a rough time imagining Gladio/Ignis' reactions to that kind of video. Also, I'm trying to add in as much canon elements as I can (Yes, sleeping MTs are canon. Check the infiltration mission of the fort north of Hammerhead) I will say this now: If future DLCs tell us "Aranea picked them up with her transport the end" I'll be salty bc it doesn't solve any of the Niflheim plot holes. :(

Anyways, thank you for the comments! I'm lazy by nature and they really do motivate me.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, you've dragged me all the way out here," Prompto mused, kicking at the dirt. They had retreated to the most isolated portions of the forest behind the Citadel. The afternoon sun spilled from the trees and sprawled to the ground; metropolitan buildings shining above treetops. It was a typical summer day in Insomnia. "What's first, Professor Caelum?"

"Well, summon your weapon," Noctis commanded. He had enthroned himself on one of the rocks nestled in the shade of leaves, knowing that the first day of practice would be the most tiresome and they were in for a long day.

"Um. Okay," Prompto replied with a casual stretch. "H-how do I do that?"

"Like this," The prince opened his palms and effortlessly conjured a sword to his hands with a flash of blue light. "You try."

"…That was a great explanation, thanks," Prompto finally said after being stunned. Sure, he knew his buddy could do some cool magic like that, and he's seen it on occasion, but he never expected to do it himself.

"Uhh… just visualize it?" Noctis added. This was something he'd done effortlessly and naturally since he was a child; it was like his friend just asked him how to breathe. "Think of it like reaching into a bag and grabbing what you want. You should be able to feel it before you can see it."

"Hmm…" Prompto said skeptically. He raised his hand and tried to think of that blue light he—

"Whoa." Prompto jolted back a bit in shock because he did actually start to feel _something_. Then his lips curled into an excited grin.

"You get it?" Noctis asked, folding his arms.

"Hoooo yeah, baby!" Prompto beamed, then poised himself in the ultimate edgy pose. "O shining light of the crystal! Come unto me in thine hour of need! I summon thee… Starlight Shooter!"

A gun appeared in his hands with a scatter of blue light.

"Woohoo! Yay, I did it Noct!" Prompto did a victory dance, doing one complete lap around Noctis. "Did you see that!?"

"Oh I saw it alright," Noctis sighed, but not without a hint of a grin. "I saw how embarrassingly you summoned that thing. I might have to uninvite you to my wedding."

"And leave half the fun behind on this trip?" Prompto shot back at him. "No way you could."

"Have you ever even fired a real gun before?" Noctis asked. It was one of Noctis' guns of course, since the permits for civilians obtaining firearms would take far too long to process and the prince absolutely needed his best friend by his side when he was to be wed. To take Prompto outside of Insomnia on a road trip, he needed to at least be able to defend himself against daemons and they had both decided that firearms would be the quickest thing to learn when it came to defending yourself.

"No. But come on, it'll be easy peasy. Just like beating _you_ in Sabertusk Shootout III." Prompto gave him a playful nudge, but Noctis held a knowing grin as he shoved him back.

Prompto took a confident, one-handed stance towards the classic red and white target pinned to a trunk and aimed carefully. He pulled the trigger, and his whole arm instantly jerked back.

"Gah!" The gun fell to the ground, just like Prompto's over confident ass. And just as Noctis expected, there wasn't a single scratch on the target.

Noctis burst out laughing. "Easy peasy huh? Wow, Prompto you really showed that target who's boss."

"Just watch, I'll definitely get it next time," Prompto said determinedly. He attempted to shake the feeling of the recoil out of his arm.

"Make sure that where you're aiming and where you're actually shooting share the same postal code this time," Noctis teased with a sly grin.

"Thank you! For your royal advice!" Prompto praised him sarcastically. He raised the gun again, this time with both hands.

His stance shifted, this time to a much more suitable position. Prompto went quiet for a while, and it wasn't until Noctis glanced up at him that he realized that he was attempting to read the direction of the wind. Those blue eyes held a relaxed focus for any hints: the way the leaves fell and branches rustled… then pulled the trigger. A bullet hole instantly appeared just outside the center of the target.

"Told ya!"

"Nice job."

Prompto began firing at regular intervals, taking a half-step back each time. All of them hit the target more or less close to the center. Pretty soon, he began doing trick shots like jumping while firing, and still managed to land his mark.

"Hey, are you… sure this is the first time you've picked up a gun?" Noctis asked quizzically, after the spectacle went on for too long for it to pass off as beginner's luck.

"Well, it definitely isn't the first time I've shown you a thing or two with babies like these," Prompto twirled the gun around his hand. The next shot hit the target exactly in the bull's eye. Again. "Aw yeah! 10 points!"

It's true that much to Noctis' annoyance, he had never been able to beat his friend's score in any arcade shooting game. Still, real guns are completely different from the ones in games. As someone who was trained to use guns himself, Noctis knew that Prompto's aptitude for firearms was just a little too good for any random guy.

"You know what I mean," Noctis said. "Real guns are different from the arcade. You got the hang of it a lot quicker than I thought you would."

"Wow, are your expectations for me that low?"

"Kinda, considering I'm supposed to be leaving for Altissa in less than a week," Noctis replied. "Which means you'd have to take the exam in 3 days, and I dunno if you'd get the OK from the captain to be a part of my entourage by then."

"3 DAYS!?" Prompto's jaw dropped. "You think I'm going to be prepared for this in just three days!? And there's an exam!?"

"Pretty sure you've said the exact same thing before in high school."

"This is completely different," Prompto flailed his arms in exasperation. Noctis wanted to remind him that he was still holding a gun. "You, Gladio and Ignis all had years of training with this sort of stuff. And I'm supposed to catch up in just 3 days!?"

"Can't help it, Dad wants me to get going right away," Noctis replied. "Seriously though, you're doing way better than me when I went through firearms training. It's like you were made for this."

The statement hit Prompto like a splash of cold water.

Noctis must've noticed the sudden change in his mood. "Something wrong?"

"I-it's nothing. ...Just…" Prompto groaned, palms pressed against his face in mock disbelief. "Dude. Your bachelor party's gonna get me killed."

"C'mon, it'll be fun once we're out on the road," Noctis grinned.

"Yep. Fun getting mauled to death by daemons," Prompto sighed, looking at the gun. "So, uh, how do you reload this thing? Or does it magically reload itself?"

"Here," Noctis hopped off the boulder, striding closer. His hands filled with the cackle of thunderous magic. "See for yourself."

* * *

"Argh!" Prompto chocked for air, his whole body tense with a dream that felt too real. He could still feel the tingle of lightning pricking at his skin. Crazed eyes hurriedly scanned the room for anything familiar, with the feeling of dread creeping up from not knowing when or where he was. Steel bunk beds. The scent of antiseptic. A minimalistic bedside lamp. All items that he knew for sure wasn't something that belonged in his house- so where the heck did he wake up from...?

Everything snapped to a dizzying focus all at once, and he felt his breathing gradually slow, noticing for the first time how he was nearly hyperventilating. He didn't realize that he had clutched onto white sheets with such tenacity until he found himself willing for his fingers to pry loose.

"Rise and shine." A voice called out from somewhere in the room.

"Noct..?" Prompto mumbled, rubbing his eyes and trying to get a hold of himself.

"Guess again." The voice was deep and earthy. Familiar. Prompto relaxed.

"Oh. G-Gladio. G'Morning, Gladdy…" He replied shakily. Why hadn't he noticed him before? "Um... where are we?"

Prompto shouldn't have tried to sit up so fast… or maybe not at all. With a pained groan, he slowly slumped back down into the warm embrace of the sheets.

"You okay?" Gladio had seated himself in the bed next to his, arms folded. Prompto found himself wondering if he ever told Gladio that he had a resting bitch face, (he looks scary right now!) but realized this wasn't the time for that.

"Dude, no. I have this killer headache and I'm aching all over. Where's Noct?"

Considering what he saw a few moments ago, Gladio felt as though "Dude, no" was an understatement.

"Your mum's coming over with food and medicine," came the only reply. It was Ignis, who was polishing his glasses by the doorway.

Those words baffled Prompto for a moment, since he's never heard of Iggy talking about any of their mothers before. Maybe because Ignis was like, the mom of the squad? But everything suddenly made more sense. The hangar doors were closing, the daemons had just kept growing in number, and Ardyn was there, then his mom and dad, then Noct-

Prompto guessed that they still didn't have a clear answer to Noct's whereabouts. "In the Crystal" was their only explanation and it's very hard to justify three grown men losing the Prince to a rock.

"In exchange for safe passage, we've been tasked with stopping the MT production of the Keep," Ignis informed him, and Prompto snapped to attention. "I certainly hope you're up for it. We... saw the video Ardyn made."

"It wasn't as bad as it seemed," Prompto assured him a little too quickly. "All those missed Thundagas from Noct prepped me up for this moment."

He let out a casual laugh, but those skeptical looks didn't fade.

"R-really, I'm ok!" Prompto continued. "I fought Ravus and all those daemons with you guys just fine, remember? I just needed a bit of rest. ...I'm _fiiine._ Seriously _._ You guys don't have to look so worried."

* * *

 _"What're you after, following me around this whole time!? It's all YOUR fault—"_

 _"What are you talking about? …Do you really mean that, Noct?"_

 _" **OF COURSE I DO!** "_

* * *

Prompto winced as another memory dawned on him. He knew that Noctis had been disillusioned when he tried to murder him in the train car, but those words hurt more than anything Ardyn ever did to him. It was his greatest fear brought to reality; Noctis finding out what he was and wanting to kill him for it. He remembered begging to talk to his best friend, but being denied even that. He remembered his agony at being unable to apologize for whatever he may have done, for dragging him down; for not being able to tell him that he wasn't after anything other than a friend. And that Noctis was the best he's ever had.

"I'll even do a pinky promise." Prompto held up a pinky like some sort of peace offering, hoping they didn't notice him wince and hoping even more that they didn't think he was in pain. Because he really did feel ready to fight. "I promise I'm okay. Headache's already going away and all I need is a potion for the aches."

Gladio just sighed at that and tossed him a potion from his back pocket. "I didn't care before, but now that they're here, what's up with your parents? Were they here all this time? Did they really not visit you once in the past five years?"

"…It's…" Prompto hesitated, fiddling with the vial before using it. He looked away. "It's actually been longer than that. When Noct got attacked by some daemon in the city as a kid, King Regis strengthened the Wall. They couldn't sneak back into the city after that."

 _Interesting choice of words_ , Ignis thought. _Soma introduced herself as a nurse from the Crown City. A citizen wouldn't need to sneak in…_

"But, ah, please don't tell Noct!" Prompto exclaimed. He paused, realizing what he just said for a moment then added: "...whenever he comes back."

"Tell him what exactly?" Ignis replied, breaking free from his thoughts.

"That the reason I couldn't see my dad was because of his." Prompto looked up. He hated the look Ignis and Gladio were giving him. Somber eyes and hard pressed lips in an attempt to suppress a frown. The same look they'd give to a wounded puppy.

"C-c'mon, it wasn't that bad. You guys don't have to look at me like that." Prompto frowned. He tried to think up reasons to just make those looks go away. "They send lots of texts. And we video call a lot."

"A video call." Gladio repeated, unimpressed.

"Y-yeah," Prompto couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. He started babbling. Why does Gladio have to be so big and intimidating all the time? "And… I send them lots of pictures! They're really not missing out on a whole lot."

He let out a forced laugh, but it sounded more pained than anything else.

"You've no need to explain further." Ignis said, sensing his distress. "We're just… ashamed that we haven't noticed after all these years, is all. However, if you should ever need someone to listen, Gladio and I would be more than happy to be of service."

"Thanks, Iggy." Prompto meant it, but he knew that this whole friend-being-affiliated-with-Niflheim thing wasn't something that would sit well with the Prince's bodyguards. If they had found out earlier... before they had gotten to know each other and become friends, Prompto knew: His head would be rolling.


End file.
